Mine car



April 25, 1950 L. w. SAGE ETAL MINE CAR Filed Feb. 9, 1948 #011420 a. sm/vrav P404 4! Mam/WWW iwz/f atented Apr. 25, 1950 OFFICE MINE CAR Luther W. Sage, Grundy, Howard B. Stanton, Richlands, and Paul V. McClanahan,

Grundy, Va.

Application February 9, 1948, Serial No. 7,226

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mine cars, and more particularly to such cars which may be used without rails.

In mining, it has long been the practice to install a railed track and use a car having four flanged wheels upon the track for hauling the mined material from the tunnel. In coal mining particularly this practice has been followed even in small operations where the tunnel extends but a short distance into the earth and the tunnel floor is substantially horizontal. The floors of such tunnels are usually quite hard and rela tively smooth, and readily adaptable for use as a roadbed. The cost of steel rails and their installation is quite high, and if their use can be avoided it will result in a substantial saving to the mine operator. The use of steel rails and flanged-Wheel cars has long beenrecognized as a hazard, and many explosions have resulted from sparks from the car wheels.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mine car which is adapted for use without rails, and which can readily be drawn from the tunnel to any desired point of delivery.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a car with but three wheels; with the front single wheel capable of being turned for steering and yet have the car bed suificiently low to permit the carrying of a normal load without interference from the usual 10w ceiling of the mine tunnel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for mounting the front wheel centrally of the vehicle and providing for unbalanced loads to prevent tipping of the car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a car of this type having pneumatic tires with the wheels so mounted as to be readily demountable for changing tires.

Another object is the provision of such a car in which the rear wheels are positioned to support the bulk of the weight of the car and load so that the front wheel will support but a small portion of the load and be readily movable for steering.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mine car embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the car shown in Figure 1;

stantially flush with the side edges of the bed plate and forming the side rails of the bed, and sills 5 being parallel to and spaced from side rails 4. Transverse stiffening rails 6 are positioned at the front and rear of the bed plate to complete the bracing.

Between each pair of sills A. and 5, the bed plat is recessed upwardly to form wheel wells 7 into which the upper portions of rear wheels 2 extend. The rear wheels are journaled upon short individual axles 8, each axle having its ends supported in a pair of the sills 4 and 5 In other words, each axle is placed through an opening in one of the sills 4, through the rear wheel 2 it is to support, and through a similar opening in the adjacent sill 5. Cotter pins 9 are put through the ends of the axle to bear against th sills 4 and 5 to hold the axle in place. This positions the wheel between the sills Al and 5 with its 'up-' per portion extending in a wheel well 7. The provision of the wheel wells permits the wheels to be journaled at a point closely adjacent the car bed plate bringing the bed plate close to the ground. To demount the wheel it is simply necessary to draw out the inner cotter pin 9 and pull out th axle. A new wheel may be mounted as simply.

At spaced points along side rails 4, sockets ID are secured, into which stakes to support body side members may be placed. The side members per se form no part of the present invention and, therefore, have not been illustrated. It will be noted that the wheel wells l are spaced inwardly from the side edges of the bed plate a suificient distance to permit side members to drop to the floor level of the bed plate.

A bracket II is secured to the front transverse stiffening rail 6 midway between the side edges of the car bed, the bracket having an arm l2 which extends vertically above the car bed, and an arm l3 which is at a right angle to the arm l2 and projects horizontally forward from the top of arm I 2. A bearing I4 is carried at the forward end of bracket H to receive the pivot post l5 at the upper end of wheel fork iii. A thrust bearing I1 is interposed between the shoulders of fork l6 and bracket I l to facilitate ing l4. The'legs of brace 18 diverge"downwardly and rearwardly and are attached to opposite sides of forward transverse stiifening rail 6.

much of the load strain upon the front wheel is transmitted through the forward transverse rail 6, one or more gussets lg may be'provid'ed? between the forward transverse-rail and thebed plate. A yoke 20 is fixed to, or is an integral part of fork l6, and projects forwardly; terminating in spaced ears 2|. Any suitable draftdevice is hingedly connected to the ears 2!, the type" depending upon whether the car is to be manually-*drawn; p'ony draw-mete. Athandle 2'2 con-- nected to ears 2 I 1 by pin 2'3is illustrated as: one such device.

The car of the present invention, dire totne particular mounting ofthe wheels has a bed' which is extremelyl'ow; it being'jiist a bove 'tl ie axle 1eve1; Its-mobility and freedom from the restraints-"oftraveling on tracks permits it'to be takemto heretofore inaccessible places, as it can be moved anywhere and t'urned'in its own length. It -willbe" noted that the rear-wheels are just back: of the-t'ran'sverse center line of'the bedso that most? of'th'e Weight of the load l is carried by the rear wheels permitting free steering movement of the frontiwlieei. This r design of car: permits the: use of rubber tired? Wheels eliminating: the danger of explosion of mine: gases irom w-heel sparks. It: will: also be noted-that thestraight: fork I positions the ground engaging por tiontofi wheel 33 directly below the pivot post? l ft, and: turning movement of the: wheeli in .st'eering. will" noti'moveithe wheel except torotate:it;-about1.thei

axisjofip'ost I51. In other;words.the fizontiwheelt.

willinotube shifted from its center line supporting positionby actual? movement-1w one sideo'r the other; oi the; center: as wouldlberthe: case": if the; fork waszcurvedf and -.th'eiwh'e'el axlememovedfronn the; plane; of: the axis: ofi post: l5

4 Although one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be understood that minor changes may be made from the exact structure shown within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a mine car, a bed plate, pairs of longitudiire-filly; extending" sills supporting saidzlied plate, wheelwells projecting upwardly above'said bed plate positioned each between a pair of said sills, a? wheel in each of said wheel wells, an axle to support each wheel, each axle having its ends supported by one pair of said pairs of sills with the axl'erextendiii'g between said pair, the plane of the axese of said axles being closely adjacent said bed'plate'; said wheel wells and said wheels beinglpositionediclose to but just to the rear of the transverse center line of said bed plate, a bracket extending upwardly and forwardly from the front edge of said bed plate and carrying a verticallbearing at: its forward end, a wheel: fork having; a vertically: extending pivot: post.- to seat; within said vertical bearing, a front wheel" jour naledi inisaid; wheel fork, v said: front wheel.- being so positioned insaid; WheBl-fOXK-V that the a'xi szofr. said wheel; intersects; the: downwardly projected axis: of: said pivot. post-,1 and; a-.bracesecured, to

said bracket? near: the front thereof adjacent said, vertical. bearing and: extending. downwardly: and; rearwardlyto; the; two: forward. corners of. said i bed plate;

LUTHER \V. SAGE. HQW-ARDB. STANTON.-, PAUL V-.. ,Mc.CLANAHAN.,

REFERENCES" CITED:

The following references. are: of: record: im the:

file of: this patentz:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS; 

